' How To ' Tips

 

How to Paddle OC Slalom?

 Explanatory Video - See Brian Otter's 2-minute instructional video introduction with footage from Whitewater Ontario's Gull River Open Canoe Slalom.

"Stern Cam" Video - Put yourself in the pilot's saddle for a solo run through the gates at the 2008 OC slalom nationals!  Thanks to "CT c-boater", Bob P., who has several good videos of canoe slalom on YouTube.

 
Here's what I remember from a 1-day clinic from C-1 racer Ryan Mader... 

Compared to the usual river running, where you often want to have your boat "dig in" and stop in eddy, on a slalom course you don't want to stop in the eddies - you want to carry your momentum through the gate and on to the next one.  So, here are the top 3 lessons that I recall (keep in mind I've never actually raced and I'm not an instructor or a great paddler!):

  1. Paddle in broad, round arcing lines, like a race car driver,
    not zigging and zagging straight from point to point.

  1. Keep your boat flat and skimming along the surface, 
    don't tilt dramatically and have your boat "sloosh" to a halt.

  1. Paddle up front and use lots of cross-forward strokes, 
    stern corrections can kill your momentum.

          3a.  Keep your paddle vertical, or even past vertical.

          3b.  Do your strokes on the inside of your turns (see drills below).

 

Links

Techniques and exercises - 

Canoe slalom techniques (C1) from the British Canoe Union BCU Coaching

A wealth of slalom (C1) info on the pages of World Champion Davey Hearn

Sammer Elias' tips and concepts for tackling advanced whitewater in an open canoe,
from BCer Jan Dettmer's Canoe Pages

Get advice from Canada's top instructors (Andrew Westwood, Paul Mason and others)
from the archives of Rapid magazine's Open Canoe Technique

Searching Google images and You Tube should also give you an idea about slalom paddling.

Updated 6 August, 2009.